1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to host based printing, and, more particularly, to a method for adaptively matching print quality and performance in a host based printing system.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 illustrates a typical xe2x80x9chost basedxe2x80x9d printing system 10, which includes a host computer 12 and a printer 14. Host computer 12 includes a processor 16, a memory unit 18 and an interface 20. Printer 14 includes a processor 22, a memory unit 24, a printhead data buffer 26 and a printhead 28. Printer 14 is electrically connected to host computer 12 via interface 20. Host computer 12 manipulates image data into a form that can be printed by printer 14, and the print data is then sent via the interface 20 to printer 14 for printing. Memory unit 24 of printer 14 is used to store, for example, printer information, such as printer configuration information, and print data. Host computer 12 executes a significant number of the instructions necessary for printing with printer 14. By using the capabilities of the electrical processor 16 in host computer 12, the electrical processor 22 and memory 24 requirements in printer 14 may be reduced, thereby reducing complexity and cost of the printer.
Such a host based printing system can include a multi-color printer that typically includes a multi-color printhead, such as printhead 28, having a plurality of ink emitting orifices therein. The ink emitting orifices may be segregated into different arrays of ink emitting orifices, with each array corresponding to the different colors of inks that are to be jetted onto the print medium. Associated with each of the ink emitting orifices in the different arrays of ink emitting orifices is a corresponding ink jet heater. An actuation of a particular ink jet heater causes the formation of a bubble within the ink disposed adjacent thereto, and the ink is expelled from the associated ink emitting orifice. Host computer 12 transmits raster information to printer 14 via interface 20 for selective actuation of the ink jetting heaters of printer 14. The processor 22 of printer 14 then sends the print data to printhead data buffer 26 in preparation for printing by printhead 28.
It is known that the print quality (PQ) of an ink jet printer can be improved by moving the printhead across the print medium in a direction transverse to the advance direction of the print medium and controlling the sequencing and/or timing of the placement of the ink dots on the print medium to inhibit the formation of an objectionable print artifact. For example, a xe2x80x9cshinglingxe2x80x9d printing technique uses multiple passes of the printhead and places only a portion of the ink dots on the print medium during any particular pass of the printhead to avoid the formation of a color/black banding artifact on the print medium in the event a color ink jet cartridge is utilized. However, shingling significantly decreases the media throughput rate (i.e., performance) of the printer.
Other factors that have an impact on the print quality/performance dichotomy are, for example, bi-directional vs. unidirectional printing, carrier velocity, and double-dotting.
Thus, in an ink jet printing system, it is often the case that achieving high performance, e.g., an increased media throughput rate, of the printer and achieving high print quality with the printer are mutually exclusive goals, since improvements in one area deleteriously impacts the other. However, there is always a baseline amount of time that any print job will take regardless of the print quality settings. In some host based printing systems, for example, the rate at which the printer can print data exceeds the rate at which the interface between the host computer and the printer can supply print data to the printer.
What is needed in the art is a method for adaptively matching print quality and performance in a host based printing system.
The present invention provides a method for adaptively matching print quality and performance in a host based printing system.
The invention comprises, in one form thereof, a method for adaptively matching print quality and performance in a host based printing system that includes a host computer connected to a printer via an interface. The method includes the steps of: determining a print process time corresponding to an amount of time for a page to print based on current printer settings of the printer; determining a quantity of data to be transferred from the host computer to the printer; determining a data transfer time corresponding to an amount of time required to transfer the quantity of data from the host computer to the printer via the interface; comparing the print process time to the data transfer time to generate a PQ delay budget, the PQ delay budget corresponding to an estimated amount of time that can be used by the printer to improve print quality without adversely impacting printing performance; generating a prioritized list of print quality improvements for the printer, wherein each print quality improvement in the prioritized list identifies at least one print quality setting for the printer; correlating the PQ delay budget to a first print quality improvement from the prioritized list of proposed print quality improvements; and determining whether to modify the current printer settings with the first print quality improvement.
Another aspect of the invention also is directed to a method for adaptively matching print quality and performance in a host based printing system including a host computer connected to a printer via an interface. The method includes the steps of: generating a PQ delay budget, the PQ delay budget corresponding to an estimated amount of time that can be used by the printer to improve print quality without adversely impacting printing performance; generating a prioritized list of print quality improvements for the printer, wherein each print quality improvement in the prioritized list identifies at least one print quality setting for the printer; correlating the PQ delay budget to a first print quality improvement from the prioritized list of proposed print quality improvements; and modifying the current printer settings with the first print quality improvement. In one embodiment of the invention, the method further includes the steps of monitoring a data transfer rate during a printing of the page; determining whether the data transfer rate during the printing of the page has increased; and if the data transfer rate during the printing of the page has increased, then stepping down the prioritized list to a next less beneficial print quality improvement.
Still another aspect of the invention also is directed to a method for adaptively matching print quality and performance in a host based printing system including a host computer connected to a printer via an interface. The method includes the steps of: generating a prioritized list of proposed print quality improvements for the printer; dividing a page of image data to be printed into a plurality of regions; and generating a PQ delay budget for each region of the plurality of regions, each PQ delay budget corresponding to an estimate of the amount of time that can be used by the printer to improve print quality from that available with current printer settings without adversely impacting printing performance of the printer; correlating each PQ delay budget for each region to a corresponding print quality improvement from the prioritized list of proposed print quality improvements; and determining whether to modify the current printer settings with the corresponding print quality improvement on a region-by-region basis.
Still another aspect of the invention also is directed to a method for adaptively matching print quality and performance in a host based printing system including a host computer connected to a printer via an interface. The method includes the steps of: determining a print process time corresponding to an amount of time for a page to print based on current printer settings of the printer; determining a quantity of data to be transferred from the host computer to the printer; determining a data transfer time corresponding to an amount of time required to transfer the quantity of data from the host computer to the printer via the interface; comparing the print process time to the data transfer time to generate a PQ delay budget, the PQ delay budget corresponding to an estimated amount of time that can be used by the printer to improve print quality without adversely impacting printing performance; and determining optimum printer settings for the printer based on the PQ budget.
Still another aspect of the invention also is directed to a method for adaptively matching print quality and performance in a host based printing system including a host computer connected to a printer via an interface. The method includes the steps of: determining a print process time corresponding to an amount of time for a page to print based on current printer settings of the printer; determining a quantity of data to be transferred from the host computer to the printer; determining a data transfer time corresponding to an amount of time required to transfer the quantity of data from the host computer to the printer via the interface; comparing the print process time to the data transfer time to determine an amount of time that can be used by the, printer to improve print quality; and determining optimum printer settings for the printer based at least in part on the amount of time determined in the comparing step.
An advantage of the present invention is that the time required to print a document is used efficiently to improve the print quality of the document.